It's On The List!
by Revvie-S
Summary: An off-world conversation between Daniel, Jack and Sam influences Jack to re-evaluate his 'life' list. Sam and Jack all I do NEW: Chapter 2 takes SG1 to South Dakota...
1. Default Chapter

_A/N: This story is set early in Season 7. Daniel is back, Pete has never entered the picture, Janet is alive, sparks are flying between Sam and Jack-- all those Season 7 and Season 8 events that caused us so much heartache have been zatted three times. __

* * *

This planet was dark and stormy. _

Dark.

Stormy.

Every day, every night, no exceptions, one thousand percent of the time, Jack had concluded. And after three days, a dark and stormy Colonel Jack O'Neill was so ready to leave it wasn't funny.

But were the scientists ready to leave?

Noooo!

Dr. Daniel Jackson and Major Samantha Carter, with water dripping off their collective chins and mud up to their thighs, were happier than kids in a candy store as they huddled, heads together, over the ancient fossils and artifacts they had unearthed on this wet, cold, stinking, worthless planet. Even the rain gear was failing to keep rivulets of freezing raindrops from running into O'Neill's BDU's in unpleasant places, as he continued to think up fitting adjectives for this inhospitable world.

If it wasn't for these two over-zealous scientists, he'd be home, he imagined longingly, sleeping in his easy chair, hockey game blaring.

Geez, even his thoughts were full of complaints and whines.

To make matters worse, the tent had somehow got wet on the inside while he was setting it up. Single-handedly, he might add. With Teal'C away visiting Ryac, and this mission supposedly a milk run, O'Neill was doing a lot of little jobs he didn't usually have to do alone.

Or do at all.

"Colonel, Can you start the sterno and heat up some MRE's?"

'Or... do... at... all!' He thought viciously. He fleetingly wished thoughts could be felt, because his would feel like big baseball bats right about now.

"Sure, Carter. Do you two scientists want soup or salad for your first course?"

At that, Sam finally took notice of O'Neill's deteriorating mood, and tapped Daniel on the arm.

"I think it's time to call it a day. We're about to have some serious Colonel issues."

"What's that, Major?"

"I said it's about time to follow the Colonel's orders, sir," she called in a loud voice directed at Jack.

"Right! That it is. So I order you two to pack it in and get over here to help me find a dry spot to light the sterno!"

Sam looked around then, and realized that there wasn't any place that a fire or small stove could be lit and sustained for any amount of time. She sighed, matching the Colonel's groan just a second earlier.

"Cold MRE's?" Asked Daniel spiritlessly.

"Uh huh."

The three took turns easing halfway into the tent, shedding their wet outer clothing into a duffel bag, and then backing in the rest of the way. This procedure was supposed to keep water out of the tent.

Judging from the puddle O'Neill promptly sat in as he fell into a sitting position inside, it hadn't worked.

"Dmphn grwlsnfbch," he cursed under his breath with a tempestuous expression.

Sam was next to maneuver her body into the tent backside first, giving O'Neill an almost irresistable opportunity to...well, to his credit, he resisted.

Sam also inadvertently sat down on the wet floor, groaning with dismay as the dampness seeped rapidly and icily through her BDU's. A second later, Daniel came through the flap, lost his balance, and fell across both of them, cushioning him, resulting in him staying perfectly dry.

Warm, dry Daniel then proceeded to carefully extract a plastic tarp from his pack and cover the sleeping area beneath him before unrolling his sleeping bag out on top, also totally dry. Whistling, Daniel opened up his MRE and was already digging into it as Sam and Jack sat soddenly on the wet tent floor staring enviously at him, in awe.

The two damp soldiers slowly unpacked their ground cloths and sleeping bags and tried to make the best of it.

"Okay, turn around, you two, I'm changing into my spare clothes." Sam turned her back and began an elaborate contortonist act that involved methodically putting on each piece of dry clothing while simultaneously taking off the wet ones in such a manner that no skin was ever revealed.

O'Neill, who had turned his back obediently at first and then juvenilely turned back around, was amazed and disappointed at this hidden talent of Sam's.

"What's the point in asking us to turn around?" He grumbled.

"Because I knew you would turn back around," Sam answered accusingly. "I learned this at summer camp. I was shy."

"Shy," huffed O'Neill sarcastically.

He immediately pulled off his wet BDU's without apology and changed into his dry clothes as quickly as possible, shivering in the cold.

"Thanks for the warning," Carter commented, more to herself than him.

"I went to summer camp too. The difference is, boys at summer camp aren't exactly...shy."

"So!" Daniel initiated cheerfully. "That makes me think of a great discussion question for the evening. What's the most outrageous thing you ever did at summer camp?"

"I hate that discussion question, Daniel," blustered O'Neill as he snuggled himself deep into his sleeping bag, trying unsuccessfully to eat his MRE without exposing his arms to the cold.

"Oh, you got a better one?"

"No, not yet, but I'm thinking."

"So, answer my question while you're thinking."

Carter sat up straighter, a fond memory popping visibly into her head.

"Once I talked some of my cabinmates into taking a midnight hike to the camp kitchen with me. We broke out the graham crackers and marshmallows and made s'mores over the gas stoves."

"Carter, that is so lame."

"What's so lame about it?"

"Everybody did that, it's not outrageous if everybody did it."

"So, top it."

"Easy," O'Neill bragged. "I and my cabinmates went for a midnight swim. Across the camp's lake. Naked."

"So what did you do when you got to the other side, Jack?" Daniel asked in an amused, 'I so know where this is going,' tone.

"Well, ahemm, we realized we'd left our clothes back on the far side of the lake, and we were too tired and too cold to swim back across, so we ran from bush to bush to bush...all the way around the lake back to our cabin."

"So," Sam concluded, "it was not only the most outrageous thing you ever did at summer camp, but also the most stupid?"

"Something like that, and watch it...that's insubordination," Jack teased and playfully threw his plastic spoon at her.

"Our cabin saved all the green jello from dessert one night, and then lobbed it in the windows of the neighboring cabin after lights out."

Daniel looked way too pleased with himself.

"Of course, that started a war that went on all summer," he added.

"What is it with summer camps and green jello?" Sam asked. "I've never liked green jello."

"Uhhh, we know, Carter."

"So Jack, have you come up with another question yet?" Daniel interjected.

"Why, yes, I have. Here it is: name one thing that's on your life list."

"What?"

"You know, the list of things you want to do at least once in your life."

There was a rich, creative silence as Daniel and Sam thought about it.

"That's a good question, Jack," Daniel said, sounding somewhat surprised.

Jack looked at him suspiciously, not sure whether to be insulted or not.

"One thing I want to do is go back to Giza, Egypt, and re-open that dig where the Stargate was found. Catherine gave me the journals from the 1928 expedition, and from what I've read I know there's got to be more cool stuff there." Daniel had the light of archeological bliss in his eyes.

"That's... nice," Jack responded uncertainly, but then continued on with his own response to the question.

"Well, one thing on my list is to... uhhh, better not say that one out loud. Okay, here's one...I'd like to take a canoe trip down the Mississippi River, starting at the source. I've always wanted to do that, since I was a kid."

"Why?" Daniel questioned.

"I grew up near Lake Itasca, in northern Minnesota. That's where the cabin is. And that's where the Mississippi starts, on the edge of the lake."

"I didn't know that," Sam said, intrigued.

"Yep. Someday I'm gonna do it. Maybe not the whole river, but, definitely the part in Minnesota. Okay, Sam, so what about you?" the Colonel turned to her as best he could, hampered by the sleeping bag swathed tightly around his body.

"I don't have a lot on my list, sir. I've already done more than I ever even imagined I could wish for here in the Stargate program. My one goal when I was growing up was to someday get into space."

The two men both chuckled at the irony.

"But, I guess if I had to come up with something..." Sam paused with a thoughtful glance at the tent ceiling, the sound of the moaning wind and driving rain outside registering in their minds as they waited.

"I know this is really hippy, but I'd like to go to the Sturgis Cycle Rally some year."

"For someone who doesn't remember the 60's, that's pretty rad, Carter," Jack complemented her.

"What's that?" Daniel asked with a curious glance.

"It's a week-long rally in South Dakota, an annual thing in August. I've never had enough free time to just jump on my bike and go up there. And it's not really the kind of thing I would want to attend alone. The guy who founded the rally had an Indian Motorcycle franchise back in the 'thirties, I believe."

"Indian? You've got an Indian, don't you?" Daniel asked next, not terribly familiar with motorcycle brands.

"Uh, huh. A 1940."

"One of her most prized possessions," Jack added after a minute. "What do you do at a motorcycle rally? Ride around in circles?"

"There's actually a lot of stuff to do, sir. Even you would enjoy it."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Only that, I think if you knew more about it, it might be on your list, too. There's a motorcycle rodeo, trail rides, lots of food, concert performances, stuff like that...I've heard about it for years from people who've gone and they had a great time. There's a lot of pretty country around there. The Black Hills, Mount Rushmore..." Sam sounded a bit wistful.

"Okay, Carter, you're right, sounds fun. Look, I'm about to pass out. I've really enjoyed this bonding time, but we all need some sleep. How much more work do you kids need to do on this site before we can pack up your new toys and go home?" Jack proved his point with a huge yawn.

"Hopefully we can leave tomorrow." Daniel guessed.

"But, we may need two more days, we're not sure," Sam quickly added.

O'Neill groaned.

Turned out it was two more days, and by the time they were walking back down the ramp into the SGC control room, Jack was tempted to get on his knees and kiss the metal floorboards.

If he never went on another scientist babysitting run it would be too soon.

Jack was unrepentantly annoying and restless all during the debriefing. As soon as Hammond uttered the word, "Dismissed," Jack was out the door and had disappeared down the hall. Sam and Daniel suspected they wouldn't see him again until after their three day leave was up.

Sam felt a pang of dismay. It hurt her feelings a little that he seemed so glad to be done with this mission. On her part, although the work was much more, no, infinitely more gratifying for her than Jack, the time spent just being with him had been wonderful. It was rare to be out in the field where there were no bad guys to run from or be shot by, no unforeseen calamities to get out of. She had briefly seen through the rough military exterior for a welcome but rare personal glimpse of Jack, her friend.

Entering her lab in a dispirited mood, she flicked on the light and headed for her files. She wanted to catch up on some reading at home during her downtime and needed to locate and pack up the journal articles she'd been saving for just such an opportunity.

It didn't take her very long before she finished collecting her articles, closed up her lab and headed for the surface. As she got to the elevator, Daniel was waiting there, dressed in comfortable civvies.

"Hey, Sam. That was a fun trip, in spite of the weather. Can't wait to get working on those artifacts we recovered."

"It was great. I don't think the Colonel liked it much, though."

"Well, it's only fair, when you think of all the shoot-em-up, blow-em-up missions we've had to endure."

"They were fun, too."

Daniel laughed. "Sometimes I forget you're a soldier, Sam. Don't worry about Jack. He'll miss you in about four hours, I predict."

Sam smiled self-consciously as the elevator climbed towards daylight. "He will not."

"You know he will, Sam." Daniel smiled knowingly. "Don't blame me for noticing. I work with you guys every day, and he's smitten with you."

"Smitten!?" Sam looked slightly bashful.

"What about you, Sam? There's something there, I know it." Daniel pushed.

The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened, so they said no more until they were past the security guards and soaking up the beautiful early summer weather out in the Cheyenne Mountain parking lot.

"He's my commanding officer."

"But what if he wasn't?"

"Daniel, I just don't let myself go there. He's my CO, that's the bottom line."

"You two have something that doesn't come along every day, Sam. Be very sure of what you're choosing."

Sam unexpectedly teared up, and Daniel, struck by remorse, pulled her into his arms.

"Sorry. That was stupid of me. I didn't mean to make things harder. Forgive me?"

"Of course. See you in a few days. Hey, if you get bored and want to do something, call me," she added, wanting Daniel to know she held no grudge.

"Will do. Get some rest, Sam."

"You do the same."

After an extended visit to the grocery store and stops at the bank and gas station, Sam felt sufficiently ready to go home and open up her house again. In spite of their frequent forays through the Stargate, they were rarely off-world for this long at one stretch, and she was happy to be home.

As she rounded the corner of her street, she was surprised and pleased to see Jack's truck pulled up to the curb in front of her house. Curious as to what he could be up to, she pulled up to the carport and went looking for him.

"Back here, Carter," she heard him call just before he appeared from behind her garage.  
"I didn't mean to be snooping, I was waiting for you to show me your cycle, and I got bored, so I was trying to find a window into your--"

"C'mon, sir, I'll show you," Sam interjected. She rolled open her garage that housed tools and a workshop, to reveal her 1940 Indian, currently in about 25 pieces all over the floor and work table.

"What happened?" He asked, amazed.

"Actually, I like to take it apart and rebuild it every now and then."

"Only you, Carter," he commented in awe.

"You didn't come over here just to see my motorcycle, Colonel," Sam said next.

"Actually, I did. I found some information on this year's Sturgis Cycle Rally. It's in early August. That's just two months from now. I could put in for leave for SG1 for that week, and we could all go."

"Really?" Sam eyes were shining with excitement.

"Sure. It would be fun."

"Oh, sir!" Sam cried exultantly and launched herself into his arms. She couldn't believe he'd looked into going on a trip to the rally so quickly. She felt ridiculously happy as she realized that this wish of hers was important to him. Suddenly feeling self-conscious, she tried to pull back, but he had a hold on her and was not letting her go.

Laughing at her expression, he remarked, "If I'd known that's all I needed to do to get a hug, I'd have taken you to a 'cycle rally years ago!"

Brown eyes sparkling, he pulled her to him for a hug that soon had her giving up all thoughts of further resistance. But finally she let go so she could look at his face and try to read what was going through his mind.

"What's going on?" was all she needed to ask. He knew what she meant.

He backed off several steps, reestablishing a comfortable buffer zone.

"I've been thinking ever since we started talking about our life lists. I got a few things on there that I'd be real upset if I never got to see happen. But they may not ever happen, unless I just..."

"What?"

"...figure out how to make them happen," he ended, staring over her shoulder with a far away expression.

She took a step in his direction, and his eyes fastened onto hers. She could feel her heart beating fast, her breathing quickening as her nerves assaulted her again.

"Like what things?" she asked hesitantly.

Jack smiled sadly and put his hands in his pocket. "I think I'd better go."

A few more steps placed Sam directly in front of him, between him and the door.

"Stay for dinner. I just bought some salmon at the market."

"Sounds good."

Actually, he would have said the same if she'd offered him Captain Crunch.

Jack followed Sam to her car and helped her unload the groceries. From the looks of what they were unpacking in the kitchen, Carter was more of a cook than he'd realized. He pulled out salad ingredients and got to work washing and chopping up the vegetables for the salad.

Carter was out on the deck, firing up the grill for the fish steaks, as he wrapped two potatoes in paper toweling and popped them in the microwave.

It was fun, Jack realized as he puttered around Sam's efficient kitchen. This was something he'd missed all these years on his own.

As they ate together, talked, laughed together, and washed the dishes after dinner, that empty place inside him growled louder and louder.

Sometimes out in the field, he'd catch glimpses of what a life with Carter would be like. Once in a while, a daydream would slip past his well-guarded defenses.

But this.

This was dangerously real, and he found himself wishing more than ever for those unvoiced, unfulfilled items on his life list.

The question he'd been so pleased with himself for coming up with that stormy night on the planet was beginning to haunt him.

"Carter, what are you doing on your downtime?" Jack had sat down on her couch now that the dishes were put away.

"Didn't you see my motorcycle?" Sam asked laughingly, handing him a glass of white wine.

"Aahhh." Jack grinned at the thought of her cycle out in the garage in pieces.

"What are you going to do?" Sam had sat down next to him now.

"I...uhhh... do you need any help with the cycle?"

Sam's heart leapt.

"Sure! It's hard to assemble some of the parts alone. But...are you sure that's what you want to do on your downtime?"

"Yeah. It'll be fun. What time you starting tomorrow?"

"Around 0900. It will probably take all day."

"Good, I'll be over around 1000. I'm going to get some extra sleep; after all, it is downtime." He stood and stretched, carefully placing his half-empty glass on the coffee table.

"Well, I enjoyed dinner. Thanks for inviting me to stay. I'll see you tomorrow."

Sam walked him to the door in a happy daze. "Goodnight," she said, deliberately leaving off the sir. Tomorrow had just brightened considerably.

The next day, Jack arrived a few minutes after ten dressed in jeans and an old, oil-stained T-shirt, showing his seriousness about wanting to help with the bike repairs. Sam was already in the garage tinkering when Jack appeared at her side, looking over her shoulder to see what she was doing.

"Looks like you've done most of the work without me."

"Don't worry, I saved the hard stuff for you. Can you hand me that wrench?" Sam pointed and held out her hand. Jack grabbed a large wrench and gave it to her.

"In...just a few...minutes," Sam said, talking distractedly as she worked, "We can lift the motor back into place... and fasten it all...back together. I'll need you to hold it all in place for me, okay?"

"Just give the orders. You're the boss."

They worked seamlessly together in a companionable silence. Around noon, Sam grabbed them a few sandwiches and soft drinks and they ate on the lawn, chatting casually. They were back to work on the bike soon after, both now absorbed in the methodical process of cleaning and reassembling.

Eventually the bike was ready for a test run. Sam grabbed keys off a hook on the garage wall and handed them to Jack.

"Would you like to do the honors?"

Jack smiled. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course."

He took the keys from her hand and glanced at her curiously for a split second, sensing a hidden meaning behind her glib reply.

The motor revved up perfectly.

"Let's go for a quick test drive," Carter suggested excitedly.

"You sure it's not going to fall back into pieces again?"

"Do you trust me?" Sam returned with a warm grin.

"Of course."

He climbed on the back of the bike behind Sam and adjusted his helmet. They rode down the street slowly at first, and as Sam drove, she evaluated the success of her repair job. Satisfied, she turned to speak to Jack over her shoulder.

"How about we drive up into the hills a few miles?"

"Great." Jack was enjoying his position behind Sam, his arms wrapped around her waist, her back pressed warmly against his chest. They could ride anywhere, he didn't care, as long as he could stay where he was for a while. A good, long while.

The bike rode so smoothly it was like floating on air, and the wind in their faces was pleasantly sun-warmed. They rode up an untrafficked mountain road for around thirty minutes before Sam pulled off the highway into an overlook.

She parked and they walked to the edge of the lookout to admire the valley spread out magnificently below them in an early summer haze of light. The intoxicating smell of wild meadow engulfed them as the warm breezes ruffled their hair. Breathing it in deeply, they stood there for long moments drinking in the peacefulness surrounding them.

Sam had never seen that look on the colonel's face before, and it struck her that in this moment they were finally just Sam and Jack, without the defining roles they had adhered to all these years.

Without conscious thought, she leaned against Jack's side and slipped her arms around him. He responded just as instinctively, turning to her and enveloping her in his arms.

"This was on my list," Jack commented quietly.

"What else is on your list?" Sam asked, knowing she was venturing into the unknown.

Jack was silent, mentally weighing the consequences of giving voice to his hopes for the two of them.

"I'll tell you someday, but right now...it's probably not a good idea."

Sam's face had somehow moved nearer his and now she was so close he could feel her breath on his lips.

"Probably not," she repeated in a tone that contradicted her spoken words.

Blame it on the smell of wild meadow, or the sense that they were worlds away from work, or the magic of the motorcycle ride. Sam felt like she was in a bubble of delicious unreality. In an instant, she closed the whisper of distance between them and delicately placed her lips against his.

After an incredible, heart-stopping moment, Jack pulled back just enough so he could see her eyes.

"Well, that was on my list, too," he confided.

"Mine too." Her eyes grew wide as she realized the implications of what she had done.

"I'm-I'm sorry. Sir."

Jack's heart sank.

"Please don't say that, Sam. Don't be sorry. I'm not."

This time it was Jack who initiated the kiss. He left no question in her mind as to how he felt about her, as well as how frustrated he had become with the whole situation. As the kiss came to a lazy end, she turned her face and laid her head on his shoulder, enjoying the brief luxury of being in his arms without fear or guilt.

"Got any more things that need repair work?" Jack asked pleadingly.

Sam laughed out loud. "You don't know what you're asking." She turned and got on her Indian and patted the space behind her.

"How bad can it be?" he asked as he got on with her and refastened his helmet.

"I've got a list."

It was late that evening before Jack finished helping Sam with repairs to the baseboards in her kitchen, afflicted with wood rot from having been flooded by a faulty dishwasher several months before. She had replaced the dishwasher, only to recently discover the legacy the old one had left behind.

"That should do it," Jack said, standing up and washing his hands at the kitchen sink. "So... when are you coming over to my house? I have a list, too."

Sam smiled.

"Tell me when you need me."

Jack was sorely tempted to answer that with his heart, but instead he said, "You busy tomorrow? Downtime's the only chance I ever have to do this kind of stuff."

"How about I bring breakfast? Wait- what kind of stuff are we talking about?"

"Hey! Too late to back out now, Carter. You'll find out tomorrow. Good night."

"Wait," she blurted, and held him by the arm.

He was surprised by the look in her eyes. He had assumed that, after the return to normalcy these last several hours, Sam had decided to do their usual routine whenever they got too close for comfort, and pretend nothing had happened.

But there it was, the look from this afternoon was back on her face, heated and needy. He melted inside and wrapped himself around her, his lips finding hers with confidence.

"Things have changed, Jack," Sam whispered in his ear. "What are we going to do?" Her voice broke a little.

"We can't do anything about...this...right now, Sam. You know we can't."

"I started this. I shouldn't have, because when I see you at work in a couple of days I won't know how act, how to go back to the way things have to be."

"Yes, you will. Because now you'll know I feel the same way. We're in this together, okay? And it's not going to be like this forever."

"And in the meantime?" Sam questioned.

"How long is your to-do list?'

She began to smile through her tears. "As long as you want it to be."

"Alrighty then. I've got quite a list, too. I believe we'll have to partner up a lot to get all those repairs done. And some of those parts you want to replace on your bike?"

"Yeah?"

"Very rare. They might only be available in Sturgis."

"Promise?" Sam asked longingly.

"That's a promise." Jack gave her hand a quick squeeze and stepped towards the door again.

"Good night, Jack."

"See you tomorrow, Sam."

She watched him get into his truck and leave, worry already crowding her thoughts. The rumors at work had had them together for years. Up until now, she could dismiss those rumors with a clear conscience.

She was afraid for them.

* * *

The summer progressed slowly for Sam. There were less off-world missions, but more negotiations with various allies, held at the SGC, on every subject imaginable, keeping the entire staff on their toes hosting alien dignitaries and constantly providing tight security. She and Jack had made a decision to cool things off, which was good for their careers but extremely hard on their hearts. The motorcycle rally was only a week away, and with the workload at the SGC right now, it was once again looking like an impossible dream. 

Sam was beginning to resent this job she had dearly loved for so many years. It was an incredible career, she knew that, and she knew how lucky she was to be here. But how much more of her life was she willing to sacrifice for it?

Too distracted by her gloomy thoughts to concentrate on the computer screen before her, she decided to go get something to eat.

As if she had activated a radar blip, Jack uncannily appeared at the entrance to her lab and leaned against the door jamb.

"I'm hungry. Let's go get some lunch."

"I was just on my way, sir." She walked listlessly beside him to the mess, glumly thinking about his promise at the beginning of the summer to attend the 'cycle rally with her.

"Why the long face, Carter?"

"I don't think I should say."

"Oh," Jack answered in a way that said, 'you just did.'

"Sam, I made you a promise I don't intend to break," Jack responded quietly, not wanting to be overheard in the crowded cafeteria. "I talked to Hammond last week, and again this morning. I think I've got everything all worked out."

Sam looked up, both hopeful and fearful.

"What did you do?"

"I told him everything. Off the record, of course-"

"You had no right," Sam broke in irately, wondering what General Hammond must think of her now. She looked at Jack with angry, hurt-filled eyes.

Jack looked taken aback. "You're right. I'm sorry."

He didn't say anything else, which made Sam even more irritated.

"I suppose you resigned or something?" Sam looked like daggers were about to fly out of her eyes.

"And what's wrong with that?"

"It would change everything. SG1 will never be the same."

"SG1 has had changes before, and it will again. Hey, If you really want to keep things like they are, I'll go back to Hammond. But I don't think you or I will be happy with that. So...can I finish, please?"

Sam nodded, still frowning.

"I told Hammond that I wanted to resign. I told him you and I had talked and that both of us were waiting until we could be together without negatively affecting the SGC. Or your career. I told him that the last seven years has taken its toll on me physically, which you know is true, and that I wanted to get out of the field.

He offered me a position as a civilian strategic advisor overseeing all the SG teams. I think he made it up on the spot. I, of course, accepted, end of story."

"What about SG1?"

"It's yours now."

Sam remained silent, digesting what she had just been told. She would miss Jack out there, she would miss him a lot.

But she liked the idea of command.

And this opened the door for them, finally, to freely be together.

"Oh, and another thing," Jack continued. "I put in for leave for next week for all of SG1. We have a Rally to attend."

Sam was finally smiling.

He'd remembered his promise to her of several months ago, she thought joyfully, and she allowed herself to look forward to it at long last.

"And one last thing, Carter. I found this article about Sturgis. It's...very interesting. Might have to do something about it."

Jack handed her a piece of paper and got up with his empty tray.

"See you later, I gotta go sign some of the paperwork for the job change. I'll come by the lab when I'm done."

"Yes, sir," Sam answered happily, hoping that was the last time she would ever have to say the word 'sir' to him.

As he disappeared from sight, Sam unfolded the clipping he had slipped into her hands and began to read.

Well, well, well.

Seems it was a long-standing tradition among cyclers to tie the knot at the annual Rally in Sturgis.

The town licensing department had to hire additional help during the Rally every year just to issue all the marriage licenses requested, the article said. The local justice of the peace was busy from morning to midnight that particular week of every year.

Sam gasped loudly as it suddenly hit her why the colonel had given this to her.

Oh. OH! Wow!

He couldn't really mean he wanted to...

Could he?

He could!

She couldn't seem to stay in her seat as adrenaline shot through her body, so she nervously walked down the hall to her lab, trying to wipe the goofy grin off her face as she passed personnel in the hallway.

Funny thing, Jack wasn't off signing paperwork.

He was waiting for her in the lab.

She slammed the door shut and jumped right into his arms.

"Are you asking?" She cried breathlessly.

"Will you marry me? Next week, in Sturgis?"

"Jack! How did you know that's on my list!"

"Are you going to answer the question?"

"Yes!"

"Sweet."

* * *

_...Heard later in the control room... _

_"Sam, I'm just kidding about actually getting married in Sturgis, we can have a real wedding here, okay?" _

_"Well I'm not kidding, Jack. It's on my list! I swear!" _

_"It'll be like getting married in a truckstop!" _

_"It'll be so romantic!" _

_"Oh for cryin' out loud..."_

* * *

_**I have never been to Sturgis, or driven a motorcycle, though I've ridden behind the driver, so I hope those of you who know more than I about such things will give me creative grace- I just thought Sam might have a secret wish like this one given her love of motorcycles! The camp story about swimming across the lake is true- but it wasn't me I swear.**_


	2. What happened in Sturgis Epilogue

It was an intimidating line-up. 

The first biker was a female, dressed in black leathers, wearing a glitzy helmet with wings of fire embellished on it, sitting lithely atop a mint condition Indian motorcycle.

An eye-catching older man, wearing shades, a dark helmet and a scowl that gave him a mysterious aura, sat behind the blonde in army fatigues and combat boots, his long, muscled arms hooked possessively around her waist.

Next to them sat a dark skinned man with handsome features wearing a light colored leather cowboy hat, burnished, powerful-looking muscles barely covered by a black air force T-shirt, cowboy boots that would make Roy Rogers jealous, and…well, the bike looked like it had been rented from the Salvation Army.

Riding a classic Harley Road King, the fourth member of the tough looking ensemble wore mirrored shades, an army green bandanna tied commando style on his head, and black leather biker gear. His sleeveless arms were muscular and mean looking as he gunned his engine, waiting for the light to change. The thin material he wore on his torso revealed a hint of washboard abs as he sat waiting, tensed for action.

This outfit had seen things that would knock your socks off.

They were lean, mean, fighting machines.

They were too hot to handle.

They were SG1.

The light turned green, and the group revved up and took off, finally making the long-anticipated crossing into the city limits of Sturgis, South Dakota for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally of 2005.

As they passed the office of the Justice of the Peace, the older man leaned forward and whispered something in the ear of the female biker, starting a very audible argument of:

"We are too!"

"We are not!"

"Please! It's on my list!"

"No way in &#!!"

Et cetera.

The huge warrior of a man told them it would be prudent to cease their discussion and help 'DanielJackson' look for the lodging 'MajorCarter' had arranged.

Like, who talks that way?

After a moment of silence, 'We are not' started up again.

"Uh, Sam, Jack, concentrate here, okay? We're looking for...Deadwood Street. Uh...we need to go east..." Daniel was staring at a handwritten address he'd pulled out of his saddlebag.

"What is the name of the hotel?" Jack asked innocently.

"Actually, Jack, it's not a hotel. It's Janet's second cousin's friend's house. He's out of town and Siler gave us the key."

Jack gave them a totally confused stare.

Daniel and Sam furtively exchanged a guilty glance.

"Something smells fishy here, Carter," Jack growled. "What's the story? I thought you said we were staying in a hotel."

"Well, the only thing left in town is the campground and there's about 2000 people camping in a mob scene out there. And Janet said this was nice."

"Janet said? She's probably never been here. And why did Siler have the key? Hmmmm?"

"Come on," Sam cajoled him as they parked and got off the bike, pushing him towards the door of the modestly sized rancher. "We'll take a real honeymoon when we get back to the Springs."

"You mean after we go back to the Springs, get married properly there, and then go on a real honeymoon."

"Would you two stop already?" Daniel cried. "If I didn't know better I'd say you were already married!"

The four entered Janet's second cousin's friend's house.

"Who is this guy?" O'Neill asked, astonished.

The walls and ceiling of the entryway were covered in pictures of UFO's, TV sci-fi-show stars, covers from Astronomy Magazine, maps of Area 51 and...schematics of Cheyenne Mountain? Intrigued, Carter walked over to that particular document and took a closer look. O'Neill was already in the back room of the small ranch house, opening drawers and sifting through papers strewn on the table tops.

"Maybe we should call the haz-mat team," Daniel suggested lightly, getting a kick out of Jack's amazed expression.

"Colonel O'Neill," Teal'C called from the kitchen.

"What, T?"

"You should see this."

Teal'C was standing in the kitchen looking at a picture of himself outside his briefly occupied apartment in Colorado Springs, working on his truck with his hat off, gold emblem clearly visible. What Jack couldn't see, because Teal'C had quickly turned his back to him, was Teal'C struggling not to smile.

"Okay, this is a practical joke. What's Janet's number?" O'Neill demanded of Sam. She flipped open her cellphone and hit a speed dial number, handing the phone to Jack in the process.

"Janet? Howdy. Yeah, we're at your cousin's or whoever's house you sent us to. What's that? Do I like the décor? Okay Janet, 'fess up. Yes, you do too know what I'm talking about. Do what, you say? Look outside. Uhhh...Okay. This is not funny, by the way. Okay, I'm going to look outside now. Yes, I'll keep you on the line..."

Jack walked back through the foyer and opened the front door.

"Surprise!" chorused about twenty-five voices.

"You get in here right now, Janet," Jack hissed into his cellphone before hanging up on her. Janet stepped out of the crowd at that moment, dressed in formal air force attire, looking beautiful, and waved cheekily at Jack.

Cassie stood there holding a beautifully decorated sheet cake with gold bells and a Stargate on it.

General Hammond was decked out in his dress blues, shoes spit-polished, big goofy smile plastered on his face, holding a handled shopping bag packed full of various wrapped gifts.

The whole crowd pushed their way past Jack and into the oddly decorated dwelling.

"Siler? Walter? Lieutenant. Rush? Jonas!! Bra'tac?!" Jack was overwhelmed as Earthlings and carefully disguised aliens alike streamed past him, all wearing huge grins and carrying various ingredients for what was promising to be a very memorable event.

Jack recognized the next person to walk in the door with a shout of astonishment.

"Marty!?"

"Hi, Jack. Sam called me. She wanted me to be the photographer, but I don't really do stills, because I'm actually a cimematographer myself, so I told her that, just this once, as a special favor to you and...."

"Great to see you again, Marty," Jack cut him off, turning and heading back for the kitchen.

"SAM!!" he roared as he blustered his way back through the crowd to confront her.

Jack found her holding court in the kitchen surrounded by adoring friends and co-workers. She walked up to him as he blew into the kitchen, beginning to look unsure of herself when she saw the stormy expression on his face had not changed.

An unbearably long, tense, charged moment crackled electrically between them as they stood toe to toe, staring at each other.

Then...

As suddenly as lightning striking, Jack grabbed her around the waist and swung her around, ending his attack with a steamy kiss that threatened to melt a hole right through the kitchen floor.

The room erupted in wolf whistles and raucous applause.

"So," he whispered for her ears only, "Do I get a say in any of this?"

"Sure, Jack. Do you want to go down to the Justice of the Peace on the bike or in a car?"

"All I can say is, now I get to pick where we go for our honeymoon."

"And where would that be?"

"Canoe trip in Minnesota."

Thirty minutes later, an interesting entourage was winding their way down the main street of Sturgis, South Dakota, attracting stares from an audience of Rally attenders who were quite stare-worthy in their own right.

There were three bikes leading the procession.

On a vintage Indian, a blonde in a short, filmy white dress wearing a white, flowery headpiece was seated in front of a devilishly handsome older man, wearing shades, a dark helmet, and a scowl that gave him a mysterous aura.

Next to them sat a good looking dark skinned man wearing a light colored leather cowboy hat, his burnished, powerful-looking muscles barely covered by a black sleeveless air force T-shirt, cowboy boots that would make Roy Rogers jealous, and…well, the bike was running, at least.

Riding his classic Harley Road King, the fourth member of the tough looking ensemble wore mirrored shades, an army green bandanna tied commando style on his head, and black leather biker gear. His sleeveless arms were muscular and mean looking as he gunned his engine, waiting for the light to change. The thin material he wore on his torso revealed a hint of washboard abs as he sat there, grinning, poised for action.

This outfit had seen things that would knock your socks off.

They were lean, mean, fighting machines.

They were too hot to handle.

They were SG1.

* * *

_Author's notes: Thanks to all of you who reviewed the first part of this flight of fancy. Just knowing you are out there loving Stargate the way I do makes my day! I couldn't resist having a little more fun with the Sturgis theme. The bottom line is the same- Sam and Jack are MTBT (Meant To Be Together)! I saw the new 'lowdown' for the first time this past Friday and my romantic heart dares to hope again that maybe, just maybe, oh please, please, TPTB...._


End file.
